8th Birthday Party Unfolds at Beauty Salon

By PENNY SINGER

Published: November 17, 1991

MAMARONECK—
TEN little girls, all third-graders at the Highview School in Hartsdale, celebrated the eighth birthday of Erica Ash this month at the Lemon Tree Salon here. In place of the magician that entertained at Erica's party last year was a bevy of different magicians named Diana, Donna and Pat, all professional hair stylists and manicurists.

Children's birthday parties in beauty shops? Donna Gorman, the 33-year-old Lemon Tree franchisee, who also has salons in New Rochelle and Yonkers, said that what had begun as a marketing ploy had become a profit center for her.

Ms. Gorman credited the idea of holding birthday parties in the salon to Joan Cable's, a Lemon Tree franchisee in Levittown, L.I. "Like most of her marketing ideas," Ms. Gorman said, "it was successful right from the time we announced it in a small ad in the family shopper about 18 months ago."

There are 75 Lemon Tree salons, all in the tri-state area and all equipped to hold birthday parties.

In the Mamaroneck store, particularly, Ms. Gorman said, birthday parties have caught on. "The age range is anywhere from 5 to 13, and last year we had a party scheduled every weekend," Ms. Gorman said. "And the trend is continuing, with more parties booked for the Mamaroneck shop than in New Rochelle or Yonkers."

For a flat fee of $12 a person, Ms. Gorman said, each child has her hair styled and sprayed with Day-Glo colors, gets her face made up with lipstick, rouge, eye shadow and mascara and has her nails polished. Lemon Tree also supplies balloons, bags stuffed with candies, hair products and coupons for future visits.

At noon, Erica, the birthday girl, arrived with her mother, Marina, her father, Rami, a systems computer consultant, and her 3 1/2-year-old brother, Timothy. Soon came the guests: Christine Bong, Meredith Fell, Michelle Nudelman, Alison Savage, Nicole Riley, Nickie-Lynn Bottigliery, Gina Mauro, Stefanie Rosenberg and Stefanie Weed. Squeals of excitement filled the shop as the first two guests bravely took their seats in front of the large mirrors. Never Had a Complaint

"For girls this age, the birthday party is very important," Mrs. Ash said. "They want to have something different. Last year we had Erica's party at home with a magician who charged $150. And then I had a meal for Erica's friends and our relatives, about 40 people in all, so it was an expensive day.

"And the year before, we also had a party at home, but it was not entirely successful because the person we had engaged to come dressed up as Minnie Mouse scared the children. But they each got a soft Mickey Mouse toy, which made them feel a little better.

"I think this one is a success," she added.

The other customers -- several women and a man -- appeared to take the birthday celebration in stride, finding the girls' antics entertaining.

"No customer has ever complained," Ms. Gorman said. "We cater to the family market -- mothers, fathers and children. Our business is good despite the recession, or maybe because of it. When money is tight, people look harder for value."

Ms. Gorman, whose husband, Gordon McGee, is her partner, said she opened her first Lemon Tree salon in Westbury, L.I., when she was 25 years old.

"My mother helped me with the financing," she said, "and the shop did well enough for me to buy an established Lemon Tree in New Rochelle three years later. I deliberately picked Westchester because I heard it was the best market in the metropolitan area."

Three months later, Ms. Gorman sold the Westbury shop and bought another established Lemon Tree, this time in Yonkers. Six months after, she opened a Lemon Tree in Mamaroneck. Towering Shapes Created

"Starting a new salon from scratch costs anywhere from $35,000 to $40,000 -- $7,500 of which is the franchise fee," she said. The Mamaroneck store, the largest, is open seven days a week.

"We keep six operators busy," she said.

As she spoke, two operators wereteasing the girls' hair into towering shapes and creating French braids before spraying on green and red and blue Day-Glo streaks. A third operator was giving manicures, and another began applying makeup.

The girls seemed to derive as much pleasure from watching one another get "done" as they did from glancing at their own reflections in the mirror.

When Mrs. Ash was asked if any of the girls' mothers had objected to the beauty-parlor ministrations as too sophisticated for 8-year-olds, she replied, "No one. They all thought it was a fabulous idea. Girls this age love to dress up and try on makeup and perfume. It is all in fun, really." Life Is Different in Russia

"I came to America with my family from Russia when I was 16," Mrs. Ash added. "I met my husband, who is also Russian born, here. Our families are friends. And let me tell you, such a party as this is unthinkable in Russia. We were there this summer, and people still have no conception of the many choices Americans have in this country in everything."

Some of the mothers, including Barbara Mauro, stayed to watch. "When we moved to Westchester from Albany four years ago, it was a total cultural shock," she said. "Gina was 5, and the first party she was invited to was a play in New York City. In Albany, birthday parties were homemade affairs. Cake, ice cream, favors -- after school, very simple."

In the four years the Mauros have lived in Westchester, Mrs. Mauro said, "Gina has been to gymnastic parties, dancing parties in studios and an artists' party at Little Rembrandt in New Rochelle, where each child takes home a work of art, a clay statue they have decorated, which is then fired at the party in the studio's kiln."

And last year, Mrs. Mauro said, a Japanese classmate of Gina's invited the whole class to his party, which took place in a judo studio in Hartsdale.

"They all were given a white outfit; they put them on, and then the judo instructor lined them up and said, 'No talking. You are here to have a good time,' and you know, they really did."

Mrs. Mauro said she had decided that "when you're in Rome, you do as the Romans." Since their move to Westchester, she said: "We've had birthday parties with magicians that charge $200 and then ventriloquists who charge $300. On top of that, there's the food to worry about and the cake that gets ground into the carpet.

"I think more people than ever are willing to pay to have the party out of the house now." Tips and Pizza Not Included

Although a Lemon Tree birthday- party package doesn't include tips or lunch at the pizza parlor across the street, Mrs. Ash said she still thought it was a good deal.

"Compared to other parties we have had, we are getting off lightly today," she said.

As for simplicity, Mrs. Mauro wondered if it still exists anywhere.

"For all I know, the trend to theme parties may be very strong in Albany right now. We left there when Gina was pretty young."

And how did the girls rate the party?

"A 10," said Stefanie Weed.

"Great," said Christine.

"Really good," said Michelle.

"I love my hair; I wish I could keep it," said Nicole.

"Terrific," said Erica.

Photos: Erica Ash, above third from right, with other third-graders who celebrated her birthday at the Lemon Tree Salon in Mamaroneck. Girls had their hair styled and sprayed with Day-Glo colors, and their faces were made up with lipstick, rouge, eye shadow and mascara. (Photographs by Suzanne DeChillo for The New York Times)